Precious

Jane Hilton first encountered Madam Kitty’s Cathouse in 1998. In 2000 she was commissioned by the BBC to make ten documentary frilms in this brothel and one close by, both situated in Nevada. These films took three years to make. In 2012 Jane decided to return to with her plate camera. Although prostitution is one of the oldest professions that have been made legal in Nevada, it is still not socially acceptable.Precious is a collection of intimate nude portraits of working girls and their stories. The book gives the viewer an opportunity to leave behind any preconceptions. The women are from different backrounds, ages and body shapes, which also challenge the traditional idea of beauty.\nBy choosing to photgraph the girls with a plate camera that took hours of their patience, it became a very bonding experience. As issues about their own body shapes became apparent, their own feeling about their journey as working girl was also enlightening. In some cases this became a very postive and cathartic experience. Jane was privileged to be allowed to stay in many of the brothels, which contributed to the trust these girls have given her.\n»Precious» is defined as something of «unique value» or someone «dear or beloved». What people consider as precious is entirely subjective though, as is of course beauty.